5 Burning Questions for Philadelphia Flyers After the 2015 Trade Deadline
General manager Ron Hextall did a good job at the NHL trade deadline, and his deals have put the Flyers in a position to start rebuilding next season. The Flyers are unlikely to make the playoffs this year, and any sustained success will only hurt the team's eventual draft position.
The franchise has two of the NHL's top offensive players in Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, but the overall roster could use some help elsewhere.
With that in mind, here are some burning questions going forward.
How Will the Flyers Replace Timonen and Coburn?
The Philadelphia Flyers dealt their top two defenders in Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn at this year's deadline. Radko Gudas, Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, Luke Schenn, Nicklas Grossman and Nick Schultz are on the payroll, but none are top-pairing quality.
There are going to be a number of defenders, such as Mike Green, Cody Franson, Christian Ehrhoff and Johnny Boychuk, who are set to become free agents, but there are no guarantees that Philly will be able to land one.
The defense corps is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed this summer, and it remains to be seen how Ron Hextall will go about conducting business.
Is It Time to See What Brayden Schenn Can Net in a Trade?
Brayden Schenn was a key part of the package that the Philadelphia Flyers received when Mike Richards was shipped to the Los Angeles Kings. At the time, Schenn was the top prospect in the entire NHL, but he hasn't progressed as he should have.
Many thought Schenn would be a dynamic scoring center, but he's produced like an elite third-line center. He is averaging 40 points a season with the Flyers, and there's the chance he could thrive in another market. If Schenn were to be dealt, he could net a nice return, and one that helps shore up a few holes in the Flyers organization.
It also appears based on ice time that management prefers Sean Couturier to Schenn, so it is unlikely he will be moved higher in the lineup.
Will Ron Hextall Find Another Goaltender?
The Philadelphia Flyers would likely be in a playoff race had Steve Mason been healthy this season. Mason has been lights out on multiple occasions for the Flyers, and he's looked like the goaltender who won the Calder Trophy for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Ray Emery and Rob Zepp went down like a lead balloon in Mason's absence, and a competent goaltender could have held down the fort and kept Philly's playoff dreams afloat.
With this in mind, will Hextall make a concerted effort to add a reliable veteran backup and make sure the 2015-16 Flyers are in good hands if Mason were to get injured again? It may not be the highest priority, but it is one that should be addressed during free agency.
Will the Flyers Sign Jakub Voracek to a Contract Extension This Summer?
Jakub Voracek is going to enter the final year of his contract next October, and he is set to become a very rich man. Voracek is having an amazing season, and he leads the Flyers in scoring. The Flyers are allowed to negotiate with him this summer, but will Ron Hextall iron out a deal for his top scorer?
There's a chance that Voracek could decide to remain unsigned and leave via free agency, because he may not want to wait for the Flyers to become competitive. It seems like he has enjoyed his time in Philadelphia, and a fat new contract may persuade him to avoid going to unrestricted free agency.
How Will the Flyers Address Secondary Scoring?
This season the Flyers haven't had a multitude of secondary scoring, as Matt Read, Michael Raffl and R.J. Umberger haven't contributed as expected. The Flyers have a prospect like Scott Laughton who may make the team next year, but outside of him, there aren't any other players who are really ready to step in.
Hextall may have to sign players via free agency, or he will have to make a trade to bolster his roster for the playoff push in 2015-16.
Stats via Hockey-Reference and The Hockey News unless otherwise noted.